THE BEGINNING (1996-2000):
Performers.net was conceived by Jim (a Boston based entertainer, The Jim Show) in the summer of 1996. The original vision was to create a web hosting service for variety acts, as well as a bulletin board system and 'community/hang out/green room' area accessible by any performer in the world. Jim thought it would be cool to meet and communicate with other performers using the web, so...

In December 1996, he posted the original "Busker Bulletin Board" on his personal web site, smirk.com. Within two months, people from all across the world were posting busking-related messages, festival reports, gigs, rants, and stuff for sale. Since it was the only bulletin board of its kind on the web, it soon grew out of control. At the end of 1997, Jim decided to move the bulletin board and all his busking-related stuff over to a neutral domain. The name 'performers.net' was registered and a new server was set up.

In January of 1998, Jim worked with Brian Jorgensen in creating a newer, cleaner site. The new site had a total of 6 topical bulletin boards and a small library of articles. The bulletin boards became very popular, but the overall design remained virtually unchanged for three years with Jim being quite busy and Brian moving on to other adventures.

THE PAST (2000-2008):
In the fall of 2000, the site was re-designed, and re-built from scratch by Jim. The entire site was then moved to a new server with more space and capabilities. In one year's time (December 2000 - December 2001) over 450 people registered to use the forums and site traffic increased dramatically. Membership has grown steadily and was nearing 3000 users in early 2009.

THE FUTURE:
The site was always intended to be a place for variety performers to meet, network and share ideas. As traveling entertainers, the web is the one place we can actually build a semblance of communityŚno matter where we are on the planet.

Performers.net will always remain free to use. And it will grow and evolve as more people use it. But don't just USE it... PLEASE contribute! We need your help. The library needs more articles and the forums can always use fresh opinions. Share your knowledge with the world. It doesn't take much to write down some words of wisdom for budding performers, your thoughts about a particular festival, or your notes on a city's busking scene. Any knowledge you'd like to share with us would be appreciated by countless performers around the world. And it will enhance the site for everybody.